New Orleans Pelicans vs Memphis Grizzlies Prediction, 12/31/2022 Preview and Pick

Game: New Orleans Pelicans vs Memphis Grizzlies

Date: Saturday, December 31, 2022

Location: FedExForum in Memphis, TN

TV: Bally Sports Southeast-Memphis

The Memphis Grizzlies will compete against the New Orleans Pelicans at FedExForum on Saturday.

The Pelicans stepped onto the hardwood against the Timberwolves and took home the win by a score of 119-118 in their last game. New Orleans finished the game with a 48.1% field goal percentage (39 of 81) and made 11 of 23 shots from distance. When they shot from the free throw line, the Pelicans converted 30 of their 43 attempts for a rate of 69.8%. Regarding getting rebounds, they earned a total of 43 with 9 of them being of the offensive sort. They also dished out 22 assists for the matchup as well as creating 11 turnovers and earning 6 steals. When talking about defense, New Orleans allowed 50.6% from the field on 42 of 83 shooting. Minnesota earned 18 assists and had 6 steals in this game. On top of that, Minnesota collected 35 rebounds (5 offensive, 30 defensive) and added 4 blocks. Minnesota walked away from this one shooting 75.0% from the charity stripe by making 24 of 32 shots. They also buried 10 out of their 29 shots from 3-point land. When it comes to personal fouls, the Pelicans ended up with 24 and the Timberwolves had 28 personal fouls.

Zion Williamson is one player who had an impact in this contest. He left the arena with 43 points on 14 of 21 shooting. He played 34 mins played and pulled down 3 boards. Williamson ended up going 66.7% from the floor and dished out 5 dimes.

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New Orleans heads into this matchup with a mark of 22-12 so far this year. They turn it over 15.3 times per contest and as a squad they are committing 20.4 fouls every game. As a unit, New Orleans is collecting 45.4 boards per game and has tallied 916 assists this year, which has them ranked 9th in the league in terms of passing. The Pelicans are hitting 36.7% on shots from beyond the arc (386 of 1,053) and 78.6% from the charity stripe. They average 117.8 pts per contest (3rd in the NBA) while shooting 48.3% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Pelicans have forced 15.9 turnovers per game and they draw 20.9 personal fouls. They currently rank 11th in basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 856 conceded on the season. The Pelicans defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 46.5% (1,406 of 3,026) and they concede 42.1 rebounds per game as a basketball team. They are conceding 33.6% on 3-pointers while they are 14th in the league in opponents points per game (112.6).

The last time they took the court, the Grizzlies went home victorious with a score of 119-106 when they played the Raptors. In relation to rebounds, Memphis allowed Toronto to grab 47 overall (17 offensive). They shot 35.7% from distance by hitting 10 out of 28 and ended up shooting 18 out of 24 from the charity stripe (75.0%). The Grizzlies permitted the Raptors to make 39 out of their 96 tries from the floor which had them shooting 40.6% in this matchup. In all, the Grizzlies ended up shooting 48 out of 95 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 50.5%. Pertaining to shooting from distance, Memphis knocked down 13 of 29 attempts (44.8%). They were able to make 10 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 71.4%. The Raptors were called for 20 fouls for the matchup which took the Grizzlies to the charity stripe for a total of 14 attempts. They turned the ball over 15 times, while recording 4 steals for this contest. The Grizzlies were able to snag 36 defensive boards and 17 offensive boards totaling 53 in this matchup.

Dillon Brooks pitched in for the Grizzlies for the game. He buried 7 out of 14 in this matchup giving him a rate of 50.0%, and added 3 rebounds. Brooks racked up 25 points in his 34 minutes on the court and had 6 assists for this game.

Memphis has a win-loss mark of 20-13 for the year. As an offense, the Grizzlies are shooting 46.4% from the floor, which has them ranked 21st in basketball. Memphis has scored 3,803 points this season (115.2 per contest) and they grab 48.5 boards per game. They are assisting teammates 24.8 times per contest (13th in the league) and they are losing possession via turnover 14.5 times per game. The Grizzlies are responsible for committing 19.9 personal fouls per game and they hit 71.4% from the free throw line.

The Memphis defense allows 36.1% on 3-point shots (439 of 1,215) and opponents are converting on 76.1% of their foul shots. They concede 26.4 dimes and 43.3 boards on a nightly basis, which is ranked 27th and 13th in basketball. The Grizzlies defensively are ranked 9th in basketball in points allowed per game with 111.7. They are able to force 14.7 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.9% from the floor (1st in the NBA).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take New Orleans

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